1. Field of the Invention
A cable tie assembly for anchoring one or more articles to a support structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cable tie assemblies are utilized in various industries, including the automotive industry, for anchoring one or more articles to a support structure. The articles may include, for example, bundled wires, cables, hoses, etc., and the support structure may include, for example, a panel of a vehicle. In certain applications, such as when cable tie assemblies are used to hold articles to panels of automobiles, the articles may be subjected to severe jostling and vibrations. As such, it is desirable for the cable tie assembly to provide an efficient and tight grip on the article, even during movement thereof.
FIG. 1 presents an example of a conventional cable tie assembly 1. The cable tie assembly 1 includes a fastener 2 for being fixed to the support structure. More specifically, the fastener 2 includes a base member 3 and a retention member 4 that extends from the base member 3 for being fixedly received by a bore on the support structure. A spring 5 is disposed about the retention member 4 for applying a stabilizing retentive force against the support structure after the retention member 4 has been inserted into the bore of the support structure. The fastener 2 also includes a first hook 6 that extends away from the base member. The tie assembly 1 further includes a lock housing 7 that is detachably connected to the fastener 2. A connector 8 (e.g., a strap) is fixed to the lock housing 7 for being secured to one or more articles to secure the articles to the tie assembly 1. The lock housing 7 defines a channel 9 that removeably receives the base member 3 of the fastener 2. The lock housing 5 also includes a second hook 10 for being engaged by the first hook 4 to aid in securing the fastener 2 to the lock housing 5 when the fastener 2 is received by the channel 9 of the lock housing 5.
During the application of external forces on the tie assembly 1, it has been recognized that the first hook 6 of the fastener 2 and the second hook 10 of the lock housing 7 may become disconnected from one another, thus jeopardizing the overall connection between the fastener 2 and the lock housing 7 (and between the article and support structure). As such, there remains a need for improvements to such tie assemblies to more reliably secure articles to support structures.